Meet Instructor Z

Antonio Zarzoza (“Instructor Z”)
Founder & Lead Instructor

Antonio Zarzoza, widely known as “Instructor Z,” is an internationally recognized law enforcement trainer, keynote speaker, and instructional design specialist. He served more than two decades as a Texas law enforcement officer, beginning his career with a county sheriff’s office and later serving with a state police agency.

During the final 13 years of his law enforcement career, Antonio served full time as Training Coordinator and Lead Instructor, where he designed, built, and implemented a professional training center that became a regional learning hub in South Texas, serving local, state, and federal law enforcement professionals.

Today, Antonio leads Instructor Z & Associates International, delivering training programs nationwide and abroad. He is known for his transformational training style, helping instructors and organizations move beyond traditional lecture-based teaching toward powerful learning experiences that are engaging, memorable, and operationally relevant.

His work focuses on training design, impactful storytelling, public speaking, and effective visual communication, helping instructors create training that resonates with modern audiences.

Antonio is a certified instructor at both the national and international levels through the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) and serves as a staff instructor with the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA).

He is also a published writer, with numerous articles featured in reputable law enforcement magazines, professional journals, and training websites across the United States.

Antonio is the author of Not Today: 260 Empowering Affirmations for Law Enforcement and The Ultimate Police Trainer’s Playbook, a guide to modern instructional strategies for delivering impactful training.

Through his work, Antonio continues to advocate for a simple principle: training should not merely inform—it should transform.